GPS to track WA's worst sex predators

THE new year will bring new powers to allow West Australian authorities to electronically monitor the state's most dangerous sex offenders.

Among several pieces of controversial new legislation to come into force in the state on January 1 or just after, electronic monitoring will become a standard condition of supervision orders for dangerous sexual offenders released from custody.

Electronic monitoring via a GPS system will also apply to dangerous sexual offenders who have already been released and are currently on supervision orders, with the new powers due to come into effect from February.

The $6 million system will only be used in Perth initially, with a regional phase-in scheduled later in the year.

Meanwhile, changes to inheritance laws in WA will mean stepchildren will for the first time be able to challenge the wills of step-parents if they feel they have been inadequately provided.

Bringing the state in line with the rest of the country, a stepchild will now be able to challenge a will based on a claim there had been failure to provide adequate or proper provision in the estate of the dead step-parent.

And after rushing through the required legislation, WA will impose an R18+ classification on violent computer games - with $5000 fines for selling an R18+ games to a minor, a $2000 fine for demonstrating an R18+ game in a public place, and a $500 fine for shops who keep an R18+ game alongside other games.

Also in the new year, fines for cigarette butt littering will more than double from $75 to $200, while a new commercial tenancy bill will mean landlords having to disclose more information to small business owners, while preventing them from passing on certain legal charges to potential tenants.